Advisory Services
Real Estate Hospitality & Advisory Services
TDF’s Real Estate Advisory service plays a crucial role in fostering sustainable tourism development by acting as an enabler that connects land opportunities with the right investors and developers.
Through a well-defined approach, the Fund conducts comprehensive analyses to ensure optimal land utilisation and alignment with investment goals. Additionally, the Fund initiates the strategic master planning and design concept development for tourism destinations, ensuring that opportunities are shaped with a clear vision, aligned with national priorities, and positioned to attract investment while preserving cultural and environmental integrity.
Over time, the Fund’s role has evolved significantly. Initially serving as a technical advisor in 2021 - providing research and inputs - TDF transitioned to an enabler in 2022 by establishing partnerships with global operators and activating the Land Register to connect opportunities with investors. By 2023, the Fund advanced into a market maker, proactively identifying land and investment opportunities, aligning with strategic and municipal stakeholders, conducting Highest and Best Use (HBU) studies, and preparing investment pitches for potential investors and partners. This comprehensive process leads to investor identification, agreement structuring, and design and tendering reviews to ensure project readiness and alignment with tourism goals.
This strategic process was initiated in Q3 2023 across 10 destinations, beginning with market gap assessments and alignment with national priorities. It includes site evaluations, securing land, and the development of tailored briefs and master plan concepts. The Fund also supports feasibility studies, recommends suitable operators, and prepares investor pitch documents to attract the right partners.
By leveraging strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Hilton and Minor, as well as maximising agreements with government entities like Riyadh Municipality and MEWA, the Fund enhances its capacity to identify and match suitable land opportunities, facilitating informed decision-making and promoting responsible development practices. As part of its Real Estate Advisory service, TDF has also focused on projects aimed at the revamping and rehabilitation of national parks, contributing to the restoration and enhancement of these vital natural spaces.
This service not only supports the growth of the tourism sector but also contributes to the broader objectives of sustainability and economic diversification in line with Vision 2030.
Case Study
Mangrove – Yanbu
TDF’s Real Estate Hospitality & Advisory service took significant steps to support a sustainable mangrove eco resort, reflecting its commitment to responsible tourism. The process began with a thorough Highest and Best Use (HBU) analysis, which evaluated the land’s potential and ensured its optimal utilisation while prioritising environmental preservation.
The Fund then created a concept focusing on integrating the resort with the unique mangrove ecosystem to promote sustainability. To further this initiative, the Fund engaged in a Pre-Selection of Interest from hotel operators, specifically seeking those dedicated to eco-friendly practices.
These efforts positioned TDF to effectively present the eco resort concept to potential investors, emphasising the project’s design and commitment to sustainability. This initiative not only aims to enhance the tourism sector but also serves as a step towards responsible development that respects and preserves the natural environment.
Tourism Research & Insights
The Tourism Research & Insights (TR&I) service aims to provide market intelligence covering tourism and related-sectors to promote data-driven decision-making and support investment attraction.
As Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector undergoes rapid transformation, data for emerging and nascent destinations remains limited. This is steadily improving, driven by the Kingdom’s ongoing digital transformation.
Currently, the TR&I service leverages strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Tourism, tourism-related data providers, and in-house research to monitor supply, pipeline, and performance across several sectors and destinations and provide information and insights where available.
As of now, this market intelligence is disseminated internally across the Fund for decision-making and with prospective investors on a case-by-case basis. TR&I has a variety of dashboards, reports, and knowledge-sharing initiatives to promote a data-driven culture across the organisation. This includes quarterly sector reports, in-depth destination analyses, and specialised reports that focus on sub-sectors and niche tourism segments. Additionally, the Fund hosts periodic TDF Talk workshops, which are designed for all employees and feature industry experts as subject matter specialists. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, including health and wellness, market trends, sustainability, and more, with the goal of educating and engaging the Fund’s employees in key areas.
Furthermore, TDF provides a robust E-Library of public reports and weekly newsletters that highlight the latest developments affecting the sector both locally and globally.
TR&I is now shifting towards sharing knowledge through external publications and dashboards to be made available to the general public. This includes upcoming initiatives to enhance the accessibility of its annual destination reports. These reports will soon be available to the public on the TDF website. Additionally, the Fund is developing an interactive dashboard tailored for SMEs and external users. This dashboard will integrate multiple data sources, addressing the critical issue of data availability.
TDF Fund is also creating an E-Library to help external users easily find valuable reports. This resource will provide key insights into the latest trends and opportunities across various topics. These initiatives aim to empower stakeholders with the information they need for informed decision-making.